Antelope hunting
 

I am thinking about going antelope hunting next fall. Can anyone recommend a good place to go? I am wanting to try and kill one without a guide on public land. This will be my first time ever hunting antelope how difficult will it be to bag one?

Thank you.

Probably the best DIY hunt out there...

Anyone should be able to get a shot at a legal antelope...whether or not you shoot a big boy or not might be another story.

Antelope are active all day...they're curious creatures so they sometimes approach you vs. run off...

Great hunt to do yourself.

Get that rifle dead on at 200yds, and you should be good to go.

Study up on field judging them, they're very hard to judge...

Do you know of any good places to go. I do not know much about out west and how the public land hunting works out there.

My top suggestions would be, NM, WY, MT

NewMexico has no pref.pts so everyone has the same odds which are low, but if you draw you get put on a private land/ranch and they have awesome goats. I wouldn't count on drawing but if you do you're in for a hunt!

Wyoming is pretty much the goto when it comes to antelope, many units can be drawn your first year with public land to hunt...

Montana 700 series tags I believe run 90-100% draw

I think I'd count on or plan to hunt WY and/or MT...

Buy yourself a Wyoming or Montana Atlas book, shows the entire state's public land....once you figure out an area you can order BLM maps through the state's blm office.

If you go on Montana's website they have a hunt planner....which will show you maps/public land etc...hit the hunt planner and click antelope...

PM sent as well.

The north end of the Great Salt lake in Utah is crawling with antelope. It's been years since I've hunted an antelope but they are definitely abundant there. Plus a lot of that land is being sold to the state, because the farmers can't afford to keep it. Might be worth looking into.

I have to ask because I don't understand. "Why would you limit yourself to public land"

Theres not a farmer within 250 miles of here that wouldn't let you on to hunt antelope. They hate antelope...deer is a different story but antelope/coyotes and prairie dogs require that you just ask. Its your party...........

FYI my "out west" is actually east from here.

Where is "here" ?

Colorado. And I have not met a landowner yet in many years of antelope hunting that has ever said no.

From central CO on the west to mid Kansas on the east to North Dakota to the north and Mexico to the south. We don't have to go to far to see antelope or people who have trouble with them.

And to add to what skb2706 said, IF a landowner says "NO", then it's probable that his ranch is leased out to an outfitter, otherwise, odds are that you can find a place to hunt with just a little drive time, knocking on a few doors, and talking with them straight up.

TR have a safe and Merry Christmas. I am going to go chase coyotes for a few days in the cold. Theres just nothing quite like walking several miles, sitting on the frozen ground, making sounds like a bunny with his parts stuck in a pair of pliers and shooting the wyly beasts. Oh yea and its 15 degrees out...high temp for the day.

PS you should hear my brother in law and his neighboring farmers talk about antelope. Basically they are refered to as the scurge of the prairie. They spread bind weed like the plague. Most often the response I get is "oh yea come back after the season and shoot as many as you want" tempting but not happening.